Jai Ho
by Enchantable
Summary: A cold snap forces Kensei and Mashiro to snuggle. This causes them to evaluate the side of their relationship that only seems to come out when liquor is involved. Question is, can they be something more and still be themselves?
1. Chapter 1

**Here it is, the long awaited Kensei-Mashiro-do-stuff-without-sake fic! In the beginning they act a bit different but that's explained. **

**Enjoy!**

**Jai Ho is a term basically meaning 'may victory be yours'. Its also a very pretty song.**

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Mashiro hugged her knees to her chest as she looked out at the twinkling lights of Rukongai.

Given their penchant for widespread destruction, the Ninth Division was often sent out to kill Hollow infestations on the outskirts of Soul Society. This past mission had been for two days. Lots of killing had happened and more than once Mashiro had used her sunglasses to keep the Hollow blood out of her eyes. The poor things were on their last legs, she was going to have to visit the Silver Dragonfly for another pair soon. Well the ones on her head had lasted for a very long time so she supposed that it was worth it. A breeze blew past her, sending chills down her spine. Mashiro hugged her knees a bit tighter, not wanting to go inside just yet.

Sometimes it was nice to sit quietly. Right now it wasn't that nice, she had too much on her mind. She couldn't think properly when she was in the tent she shared with her Captain. Neither of them had a problem, their ranks were so close they had shared tents for most of their careers together. Even if she sometimes muttered in her sleep and Kensei ground his teeth together they had no problem. Kensei smelled good, even when he was all dirty he didn't stink like most of the men. And he always turned his back when she changed her cloths and made sure that she was safe. He was so old fashioned it was endearing.

It was the source of her troubles.

Mashiro and Kensei had a very odd relationship. She had kissed him during his promotion ceremony and one thing led to another. She woke up with a pounding headache, a dry mouth and a pair of wonderfully strong arms holding her closer than anyone ever had before. Unfortunately that was not the last time it happened. Their Division loved to drink. They didn't want to exclude their Captain and Lieutenant who wouldn't dream of being rude and refusing. Unfortunately every time that happened the same events occurred. First teasing kisses, taunting brushes of lips that had started out clumsy but become much more steady, even with the damper of alcohol. Then his arms would wind around her waist and hers would sink through his short grey hair and before they knew it they were in his rooms, all the frustration they built up at each other coming out in a far more pleasurable way.

A free spirit, Mashiro had no problem with drunken make out sessions with her stoic Captain. The problem was that a cold snap had gone through the area they were in the other day. Unprepared for the weather the two of them had bundled together for warmth. They had started out back to back but sure enough when Mashiro woke up it was in his embrace. Without the damper of liquor or the haze of a hangover it was the most wonderful place she had ever woken up in. His heart under her ear was strong and steady, the rise and fall of his chest hypnotic. All she wanted to do was stay there, forever and ever. Unfortunately there were Hollows to be killed and soon they had to separate. They had gone about the day as if nothing happened. The next night the weather was warmer and they slept separately again, or he did. Mashiro stayed awake the entire night wanting nothing more than to snuggle into his embrace.

"There you are!"

Mashiro put her chin on her knees as Kensei made his way over to her. He stood behind her, surveying the area for any threat before his eyes settled on her. He had gone into the tent, knowing that as long as he kept his breathing steady his body would let him sleep no matter how tumultuous his heart was. Unfortunately when he stepped into the darkened tent he had discovered nothing there and said heart practically stopped in his chest. It was lucky that her hair was so bright because otherwise he would have probably torn up the entire forrest looking for her. But there she was, on a cliff a bit out, her eyes on Rukongai.

"Thought you were asleep," he said.

"Nope," Mashiro said. Kensei sat down next to her. She leaned her cheek on her knees looking at him, "whats up Kensei?"

"What're you lookin at?" he demanded looking at the lights of Rukongai.

"Rukongai," she said looking from him to the city, "its so pretty. Bet everyone's got tuna there," she pouted remembering the rice they ate for dinner, "bet its warm too," she muttered.

"You cold?" he demanded looking at her, "you're the only one in the Division with sleeves."

"Not true. You're the only one without 'em," she said.

"I meant on your uniform," he snapped hotly.

Mashiro grinned and hugged her knees tighter as she looked out at Rukongai.

"Can we see your District from here?" she asked him.

"No," he said, "my parent's farm is in the Seventh," he looked at her, "you?"

"That one!" she pointed at the District.

"You even know what that one is?"

"Seventy Third," she said with a grin, "my District!"

Kensei looked out at Rukongai. Everything about them was impossibly different. He had grown up in relative comfort while Mashiro had run around the Districts picking pockets and stealing food for a living. Even now the two of them were impossibly different. She was bright and cheery and impossibly free in a way that he knew he would never be, just as he was far more grounded than she would ever be. The two of them were shockingly different and, yet, they were not that different at all. Both were honorable people, despite Mashiro's past as a thief. They both valued the Division--and each other--above their own lives. They also both loved the same foods, she was just far more vocal about it than he was.

The two sat in silence as they stared out at Rukongai.

"This is about the other day."

Mashiro's eyes widened. She looked at Kensei, a hundred excuses on her lips but he silenced her, his lips twisting into a small lopsided smile that silenced her more effectively than any attack.

"You haven't been fussing like usual," he said gruffly, "we'll just bring heavier blankets next time okay? For now you can take the tent tonight and I'll just crash with Eishima if that'd make you more comfortable."

It took Mashiro's mind a moment to realize that he thought she was _upset_ about the other night. Well she was, just not in the way he thought she was. Her eyes widened as she looked at him. He kept his eyes on the streets below them, not looking at her. Kensei wouldn't ever be this nice about anything insignificant, like her eating habits or desire to get more sleep but there were certain things Kensei didn't kid about and her honor as a woman was not one of them. Despite the fact they had slept together they had been drunk. Sober, sober he wouldn't touch her like that and especially not without permission. It was true that his arms had been tightly wound around her waist but her head had been on his chest, her arms just as tight around him. Only Kensei would think that his sleepy mind should be prudish as well.

Kensei had noticed the change in Mashiro's behavior since that incident when they slept in each other's embrace. He was not proud of the fact that they seemed to sleep together anytime they got drunk but there was a difference between that and what happened the other night. He had woken in the early dawn to realize their position. His instinct had been to untangle himself and go back to the back to back way but Mashiro had mumbled and tightened her arms around him, refusing to be separated from him. The feelings that such a simple gesture had sent coursing through him had stirred up a whole set of problems for Kensei. He didn't think he had ever killed more Hollows in his entire life and if exhaustion and training hadn't taken over he would have been up the entire night wishing she was in his arms again.

He noticed her being unusually quiet though. He couldn't call her out on it without her making some flippant remark and threatening to dissolve into a temper tantrum. The entire mission though he had been watching her even closer than usual, just in case a Hollow got a lucky shot. He had faith in her ability to protect herself--he just knew that he'd do a good job of it too. But Mashiro was, well, she was Mashiro and he was Kensei and the idea of the two of them being anything but what they were was crazy. At least until the next bottle of sake went around. Even then he was going to have to be careful to stay away from her. Maybe he could talk to Shinji, Shinji could probably restrain him and the Captain did owe him a favor.

"Y-you don't have to crash with the others," Mashiro said feeling actually nervous. Kensei looked at her carefully with his honey eyes, "its, um, its not what you think with the whole acting--"

"You don't gotta tell me," he said gruffly, "we'll be back in the Court tomorrow and you can--"

"I liked it!" Mashiro blurted out.

Kensei's honey eyes widened at the admission. Mashiro felt horribly embarrassed, she could feel her cheeks turning as red as his neck undoubtably was. Oh why did she have to have green hair? Maybe it wouldn't be that obvious if her hair was black or gold or--or grey. Kensei seemed truly shocked at the confession, none of his usual frustration on his features, no more than her carefree nature was. They had both been acting differently since that night. Mashiro looked at the grass, feeling her eyes burn. He probably hated being woken up being hugged like that and that was why he offered to leave. She hadn't thought of that before, if that was the case though, then maybe she had just embarrassed herself even further by telling him she liked waking up in his embrace without the pounding headache that usually accompanied it.

"You _what_?" he stared at her, shock still all over his face.

"I um--" she stopped, "you just don't have to sleep anywhere else silly Kensei," she said with a bright smile, "I'm gonna go to bed--"

"The hell you are!" his hand streaked out and grabbed her wrist, preventing her from moving, "what'd you mean--"

"You're fun to wake up next too," she said feeling better when she realized he seemed to be hanging onto her every word. Surely if he hated it he would have run by now, "you make a nice pillow."

Kensei could barely figure out what was going on. First he thought that she hated waking up on him and the next she was telling him she liked it. Why was nothing _clear_ with her? He knew he wasn't the easiest person to read but the girls he had been with had at least made it clear what they wanted, they made it clear they liked him without liquor loosening their tongues. But Mashiro Kuna was not like the other girls, hell she was like no-one he ever met before. Mashiro looked up at him, deciding finally that she had absolutely nothing to loose in terms of her Captain, friend and sometimes makeout partner.

"You--" he stared at her, "have you been drinking?"

"Silly Kensei," she said scooting over to where he was, her wrist still entrapped in his much larger hand, "I'd wouldn't drink on a mission."

"You've been acting weird," he said sounding far less in control than her usual Captain. He had his shy moments just as she had her serious ones, "I don't want you to get yourself killed!" he snapped, the edge revealing the defensiveness in his voice.

"Well we'd better do something to help me concentrate then," Mashiro said sitting back on her heels, "I kissed you first. Its your turn."

"Huh--but--" Mashiro pouted, silencing his rambles.

Kensei stared at her. How the _hell_ had he lost control of the situation so damn fast? Well he knew there was a reason that he chose her to be his Lieutenant. God, why was this so hard? Why was she so calm--Kensei stopped. No, she was not calm about this. In fact, mixed with the joy he saw nervousness in her eyes as well. Both seemed aware of the fact that something had to change. That something had already changed when they woke in each other's embraces and now the rest of their lives had to catch up to that. They could not remain as they were pretending to be, not if they were to survive the conflict. Kensei could hear his own hear pound in his chest as Mashiro sat back on her heels and looked up at him.

"Fine," he said.

She smiled happily and opened her mouth to say something.

But his lips were abruptly on hers.

Mashiro felt her eyes widen in surprise before her eyes slowly drifted closed. His lips were not that soft, she could feel the barest stubble on his chin as well and he did taste like the rice they had for dinner but it was the most wonderful kiss she had ever had. His lips were warm and without the damper of liquor they were impossibly gentle against her own. The cool breeze that blew across the back of her neck was not the only reason shivers raced along her spine as her Captain kissed her. Mashiro finally moved her lips against his, her head moving a bit more to the side as one of her hands came up and gently cupped his cheek. When his tongue entered her mouth Mashiro was all too happy to reciprocate the movement, the kiss progressing further when his body moved closer to hers, one of his hands coming to rest on the grass on the opposite side of her hip.

Finally they moved apart, his eyes opening a moment before hers did. Honey gold met brown grey as they stared at each other, too close to pretend there was distance between them. Mashiro's hand slipped from his cheek to press into the grass but his hand made no move to leave its position on the grass next to her hip, keeping her under his arm. For a moment neither of them said anything, both too shocked at what they were feeling to put it into words.

"Come on, we've got a lot to do tomorrow," he said gruffly pushing himself to his feet and sticking out his hand. Mashiro grinned and put her hand in his, letting him pull her to her feet, "we gotta get what rest we can."

"Aww," she pouted.

"Shut up, we're still on a mission," he snapped.

"I know Kensei-meanie," she said as they headed back to the tent, his chest near her spine. Finally they got to the tent and stepped into the darkened confines "hey Kensei."

"What?" he looked down at her, his fingers reaching for the lamp.

Mashiro grabbed him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulled him down, pressing her lips against his. Kensei's neck moved to adjust to the angle of their height difference but they managed. Their movements were not dampened by liquor or clumsiness, not anymore. His wonderful arms encircled the curve of her waist, her body pressing against his until her wrinkled uniform was the only thing between their chests. It was a good thing his arm was where it was because her knees seemed to weaken. In the darkness the only thing she was aware of was, well, was _him_. His arms tightened about her, his hands smooth and warm even through the fabric of his gloves and her shirt.

Finally breathlessly they broke apart, both aware that they were in the middle of camp, on a mission and while making out was one thing having sex was an entirely different thing. Kensei walked over to his bed and Mashiro skipped happily over to her own.

"Night Kensei!" she called over her shoulder.

"Go to sleep!"

She did, her smile not slipping until sleep took her away.

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**Yay!!**

**Okay for all you new readers, before the words "write more Kensei/Mashiro plz" come out of your mouth, let me share these with you:**

**-Moonshine/All the Same: oneshots with KenseiMashiro and ShinjiHiyori**

**-SilentForce/Arcana: KenseiMashiro are a pairing but there are others**

**-Terebellum: Not only are Kensei/Mashiro a couple but they're pirates **

**-BookoftheDead: Shinji Hiyori is the main pairing but Mashiro and Kensei's past is going to be explored as well. **

**If you wanna see something else, Pm me!  
**

**Oh and don't forget to review! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay so followup by popular demand!**

**Great Kensei/Mashiro song is-Masterpiece by Josh Kelly. **

**Warnings: This is MATURE!! Its not completely explicit but its very obvious as to what they're doing. So easily offended people, close your eyes. Everyone else, Enjoy!**

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"To another successful mission!"

Kensei rolled his eyes at the antics of his Division who all cheered and drank in celebration of the successful mission. From his position in the doorway of the main building, he watched the antics go on, trying to stay out of sight. It was not that he wanted to snub his Division, honestly on any other night he would have been right there with them knocking back shots and celebrating the victory. But tonight he was restraining himself, and from the absence of a violently colored mop of green hair, he knew Mashiro Kuna was as well. Kensei pushed himself away from the wall and walked out of the main building towards his personal quarters. As Captain he lived at the Division but his rooms were fractionally larger than the barracks where the rest of his Division slept.

He opened the door to his very clean, very neat apartment--or what usually was his very neat, very clean apartment. The moment his foot touched the hem of a hamaka he knew that something was amiss. a long line of cloths--_female_ cloths led to his bathroom. He walked forward, his steps quiet as he made his way to the door. Tossed carelessly in the doorframe was the final confirmation of the person's identity. Kensei reached down and picked up the violently pink scarf that usually decorated his Lieutenant's neck. Kensei felt his cheeks heat up as he jumped away from the door and the person he knew was inside.

"Mashiro! What the hell are you doing?!" he roared over his shoulder at the door bathroom.

"I'm takin a bath!" came the cheerful reply, "I smelled bad."

"Why are you doing it in my apartment?! How the hell'd you get in her anyway?!" he demanded, feeling the back of his neck burn.

"Silly Kensei, I've had the key to your apartment since you gave it to me," he heard her laugh, "and if you'd remembered to put that order in to fix my bath, I wouldn't be in here."

Kensei felt his teeth grind together in anger.

"You can come in, you can't see anything--I used bubbles!"

That did it.

Kensei had taken great pains to make the fact that he had a bathtub as un-girly as possible. There was a bar of soap, something to wash his hair and that was _it_. There were no bubbles in Kensei Muguruma's bathtub. Then again, there were also no naked green haired women either. He shoved the door open further, more because he needed to shove something than he needed more room to enter the bathroom. Sure enough his tub was filled to the brim with bubbles. Mashiro was covered in them, only her head and her feet with their blue toes sticking up in the water. She turned her face to his and grinned brightly, as if there was nothing wrong with her being in his bathtub. She wrinkled her nose and looked at him.

"You should get in with me," she said, "you smell awful."

"I'm not taking a bath with you!"

"You're such a prude," she pouted as her arms emerged while she stretched out, her chest coming dangerously close to the tops of the bubbles. Kensei turned around quickly, feeling his neck burn when she laughed brightly, "I put bubbles--"

"I can see that!"

"They smell nice, you smell icky," he heard the water swish, "look, I'll turn around and you can come in. Your tub is big."

"No."

"You're stinky, you should."

"No--" he felt something wet and scented hit the back of his neck, "did you just throw bubbles at me?!" he demanded whipping around.

Sure enough, she had. Mashiro smiled widely, her hands still cupped in front of her mouth from where she had launched the attack. It was his fault for standing too damn close to her anyway, that and the fact he got far too cute when he was angry. It was enough incentive to tease him. She had thought that he would be all weird when they got back from that mission but he was still the same adorable, easily-angered Kensei Muguruma who both fascinated and infuriated her. Well infuriate might have been pushing it, but if she ever got made at anyone she knew it would be him.

"Come on Kensei," she prodded, "you're too stinky to have sex with like that."

Kensei's eyes widened to the point of being funny as the blush that his grey hair revealed spread to his cheeks. Mashiro moved to the rim of the tub and crossed her arms, leaning her chin against her forearms. Only Kensei could get mad at having a naked girl in his bathtub. He really was such a prude. But that had been her plan all along: Seduce Kensei. She knew, since he kissed her, that he wanted to be with her when they weren't drunk. Kissing him was nice but Mashiro was determined to go further. Unfortunately Kensei happened to be chivalrous, respectful and more than a little hesitant about having sex with her. It wasn't like there wasn't a line of women waiting to claim the Ninth Division Captain but Mashiro was pretty positive that of all them she was the only one he really cared about and, by the same token, the only one he wouldn't just sleep with.

But she was going to change that.

Once he took a bath, of course.

Well if he wasn't going to join her then she was just going to have to change spots with him. Kensei was still frozen there at her proclamation of having sex with him right then and there so Mashiro flattened her palms on the lip of the tub, straitened her arms and stood up.

Kensei's eyes widened as his very fruity smelling, very pretty, very _crazy_ Lieutenant stood up and revealed that she was also very _very_ naked. He had known she was, she was in the bath, but there was a difference between knowing was was under a good two inches of bubbles and seeing it without said bubbles. Without an ounce of shame Mashiro swung one leg over the side of the tub, followed by the other, walked over to the stack of towels resting nearby and picked one up, wrapping it around her body. Walked was the wrong word for what she did. No, she _sauntered_ over to him, her hips swaying as she smiled, placing a wet palm on his shoulder.

"Your turn," she said walking out of the bathroom.

Fifteen minuets later the bathroom door slid open to reveal Kensei Muguruma, sans the stink they both had from the battle. He was dressed--or not dressed--the same as she had been, his grey hair slicked to his scalp. The towel around his waist left little to the imagination, not that she was much better. Kensei froze. Mashiro had apparently gotten into his closet while he was in the bath because she was sitting on her knees on his bed dressed in nothing but his sleeveless robe. Suddenly coherent thought seemed to be a difficult thing to manage as his Lieutenant grinned impishly up at him. She scooted off the bed and walked over to him.

"You don't stink so much," she said.

"I smell like fruit," he said but instead of sounding angry he just sounded, well, aroused.

"Mmm," she said coming close enough to press her body to his, "you complain too much Kensei."

He felt her tongue at the juncture of his shoulder and throat. A trained warrior he knew the neck was one of the easiest places to be killed. Part of him wanted to recoil from the touch but he knew she'd only follow. Her tongue licked the droplets of water from his skin there, the touch teasing and purposeful. Unable to stand it any longer Kensei ducked his head and captured her lips with his. Mashiro returned the kiss, parting his lips easily and redirecting her tongue to his mouth. The movements were familiar, this was not the first time they had wound up in each other's arms but this was the first time they had done anything of the sort without the tinge of liquor on their tongues.

Her skin was silky smooth as he slid his hands between his robe and her body. She eagerly stepped into the touch, arching her spine and bringing their bodies even closer together. His hands were large and warm against her skin, callouses scraping against the smooth surface. He reached out and slid the fabric from her shoulders as she set it flying somewhere in the corner of his room leaving the towel around his hips the only fabric between them. Her nimble fingers slipped into the confines of the cotton as she smiled and drew back, her fingers teasing the folds of the fabric.

"That's no fair," she said.

"Really?" he smirked, his hand grabbing the fold and yanking it out, leaving them both naked in the room, "better?"

"Much," she grinned jumping up and locking her legs around him.

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"I'm hungry Kensei!"

"So go down and eat."

He heard a dramatic sigh and looked down, facing Mashiro. The sheets were tangled about their waist, leaving them both nude from there up--not that such a thing had ever bothered Mashiro. She was half lying on his chest, her finger idly tracing the numbers inked there. He had a feeling the skin there was going to be sore in the morning from what she had done earlier--not that he minded. It wasn't as weird as he thought, being sober and having her laying on his chest. Especially not when he was positive the red marks that drew constellations on the porcelain of her neck were solely his doing. She craned her head up and looked at him, her eyes wide. Inwardly he winced, knowing what was going to happen.

"But Kenseiiii," she whined his name.

"No."

"But--"

"No! You already turned my bath into a bubble-fest. You want food you gotta go down and get it yourself."

"You're such a meanie," she said pouting and looking down, "Kensei--"

Her next whine of his name ended in a yelp as he rolled her onto her back and trapped her underneath his form. His calloused hands easily traced the lines of her body, her skin still trembling in the wake of his touch. She was quite sure that no man she had ever been with had marked her as completely as Kensei Muguruma had. Body and soul, though the Gods knew she had tried to find someone to take her mind off him. But this, this was _so_ much better. How someone so strong and klutzy when not in battle could be so incredibly gentle and teasing was beyond her. Apparently liquor had been stealing a large part of her fun. Mashiro hooked her foot around his hip, pressing their sheet-tangled bodies closer together as she arched her neck as his lips worked along her neck.

"Mmm," the sound that slipped from her lips was one of pure, happy contentment as her arms twined around his neck, "food--Kensei!" she cried, outraged as her demand was ignored and his lips traveled lower on her body, "Kensei--"

"Shut up," he growled into her skin.

"M-meanie," Mashiro gasped out, hating how easily he stole her control, her words, her thoughts, "Kensei," she moaned his name, the word a plea, a prayer.

If she had said his name like that before this night then Kensei knew he was going to swear off drunken sex---well swearing off was probably the wrong word. But he was definitely going to make sure he included non-drunken sex with his Lieutenant in the mix. It was just far too much fun to rob her of her words. She enjoyed pissing him off so much, he could officially say he enjoyed rendering the talkative woman speechless. Speechless or gasping or moaning his name. He trailed his lips up the line that defined her abdomen, his mouth moving over each scar. Most of them he had been there for, just as she had been there for most of his. He saw the green of her hair move in and out of his vision as his lips toyed with the skin, the scar tissue altering the sensation. Finally he arrived at her face, her lust clouded eyes opening to look at him.

"No fair," she repeated, her swollen lips still pouting up at him.

He felt a leg on his backside before he found himself flat on the bed, his green haired Lieutenant sitting on top of him. Fair, it seemed, was a matter of opinion in his apartment that night as she pinned his wrists and set about destroying the fibers of control he had left.

Only when his door was broken in by a well placed kick did they stop. Turning they both looked at the sight of a very disgruntled Lisa Yadomaru. Mashiro saw nothing wrong with being naked and sitting on top of him. If his wrists hadn't been trapped he would have made some move to cover them, even if it was Lisa standing there. The Lieutenant shoved her glasses up on her nose and walked over to the bed, her eyes glaring.

"Do you have _any_ idea how loud you are? I can hear you from _my_ Division!" Mashiro smiled impishly, "keep it down or use a barrier or something. Not all of us are finding our true loves tonight," she said walking out and slamming the door behind her.

A moment later she felt Kido move into place. Turning around she faced the entirety of the Ninth Division, all of whom gave her very happy, very drunk, very sleepy murmurs of thanks before going off to bed. She turned and walked back to her Division, intent on getting as much sleep as she could before the groans began when Kensei woke up and made his hungover Division clean up the mess they made the night before.


End file.
